Birthday and Baptism

Emily turned eight years old and was baptized on Saturday. She thought it was pretty cool to be baptized on her birthday just like her dad was. I thought it was cool that she was baptized on the same day as I was (just 28 years later). Ben thought it was the farthest thing from cool to “have to get baptized on your birthday.” He didn’t even think that he should have to attend a baptism on his sister’s birthday. He was a little confused and thought that since Emily’s birthday was on a weekend (a holiday weekend no less), he should be able to anything that he wanted to (his plans did not include church clothes). We cleared that up for him pretty quick.

Emily had a great day. She loved almost all of her presents. She wasn’t a huge fan of her new scooter. It was trickier than she thought it would be. Maybe she will learn to love it in time. We didn’t really do much during the day since we were getting things ready for the baptism, but she was happy to just hang out and play with her brother and sisters.



The baptism was pretty much perfect. She looked beautiful and everything went really well. She had lots of family and friends there to support her and make it a special day for her. I decided that I like being the mom at girl baptisms better than at boy baptisms. I liked that I got a behind the scenes view of the actual baptism. Standing at the top of the stairs, I couldn’t see anyone or anything else. There were no distractions. I could just focus on Nate and Emily and feel the spirit (and the steam coming off of the super warm water). Plus I had something to do between the baptism and confirmation. (At Ben’s I felt so useless during that break.) I liked having that little one on one time with her right after she got out of the water.




After we were done at the church, everyone came back here for some treats. Emily got SPOILED with gifts. I told her that I might need a loan now that she has more money than I do. To celebrate her baptism, we had a made a little slideshow with pictures from when she was a baby until now. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. We sure love that girl and feel blessed to have her as part of our family!

Birthday Highlights (and Lowlight)

Birthday Highlights

-Fresh donuts for breakfast.

-Taking Elise to her first day of kindergarten. It is a blessing to have such independent kids. I wasn’t worried for one second about how she would do and she had a great first day. She has a couple of friends in her class and she loves her teacher. I think she is going to have lots of fun this year.

-Going out to lunch with Nate and Abby. I love listening to Nate speak Spanish to the waitresses at Javier’s. Abby loved the one on one time with Mom and Dad and she loved the food. After one bite of my enchilada, she turned to me and said “This is lots better than the ones you make at our house.” Thanks Abby. I have to agree.

-Walking home from school with the kids. My mom sent me a birthday card that plays accordion music (the chicken dance song) when you open it. Abby was holding it in her stroller and we got to listen to it the whole way there and back.




-Taking an afternoon nap.

-Fun presents.

-Chinese food for dinner.

-Watching Wipeout with Nate and the kids. We had originally planned to go boating, but it wasn’t really warm enough (plus my back is still not quite right). Plan B was dinner and a movie. By the time we were done with dinner, there wasn’t enough time for a movie before bedtime, so we moved to Plan C (Wipeout). Listening to my kids laugh out loud for an hour was a great way to spend the night.

-Lots of phone calls and email/Facebook messages from family and friends.

Birthday Lowlight:

-Getting eliminated from the ward water fight. Nate and I stopped at Walmart before lunch to pick up a few things. We were heading to the checkout when I was suddenly blasted with cold water. We had seen my friend from the ward when we came in and talked to her for a second. Little did I know that I was her husband’s water fight target. She called him at work and he drove to Walmart just to get me out. That’s dedication! The good news is that he didn’t ask me who his next target was. I’ve had Nate’s name since the second week of July, so he’s had “spousal immunity”. We were both wondering what we were going to do when Tracey asked who he was supposed to get next. Nate was all set to sprint to the van, but luckily he never asked. He totally could have taken us both out at the same time. So, Nate is back to looking like a dork and wearing a tie every time he leaves the house and I am now worry-free. I made it to the top 15 (out of 80+). That’s not too shabby.

36 Random Facts About Me

Nate’s cousin did a blog post on her birthday with a list of 32 things about her. I thought it would be fun to do the same. In making this list, I’ve decided that I am more than a little bit quirky . . . I’m more in the realm of Brick Heck (“clinically quirky”). I’m a lucky girl that I have a quality husband and good friends who love me anyway.

Here goes:

1. I can look at any item we received as a gift and tell you who it is from. Every time I use a sauce pan, I think “Aunt Rae gave us these for our wedding.” I can also tell you where every item of clothing that my kids own came from (either who gave it to them or what store it was from if I bought it . . . and usually even how much I paid).

2. I have no sense of direction and I don’t pay attention to my surroundings. We once passed a car that was on fire and I didn’t even notice until Nate pointed it out to me.

3. I hate brushing my teeth with a dry toothbrush. I always run it under water after I put the toothpaste on. I’m pretty sure it is the only correct way to brush.

4. I have a really hard time watching sad movies about things that really happened (i.e. Titanic). It takes me weeks to emotionally recover.

5. I go way overboard on quantities when a good deal is involved. I once bought 36 packages of Q-tips at once because it was a killer deal. Then there was the Hamburger Helper incident of 2006. I think we bought twelve cases . . . and I don’t even like Hamburger Helper. I’m getting better. :)

6. I’ve already bought gifts for my future grandkids. They are cool things that my kids love and I worry that I would have to pay a fortune on ebay if I wait 20 years to get them.

7. I don’t love odd numbers. When faced with an odd number, I usually make up a math equation to make it even (in my mind). Example: Nate and I were married on June 12, 1999 . . . 6-12-99. It would have been perfect if it was 6-12-98 (but we didn’t know each other then). To “come to terms with it” I just add the two nines together. Then it is a beautiful number because you’ve got the 6+12=18 thing going. I was extremely happy that all of my kids were born on even days. Granted, Abby was born on the 30th (ending in zero is almost as bad as being odd), but I have a great equation for her birth date too.

8. When I go out to a restaurant I almost always end up wishing that I had ordered what the person sitting next to me got. Nate found the official term for such a condition. It’s called futterneid. My sisters never want to sit by me when we go out to eat because they know that I will want to taste their food.

9. My favorite chore is mowing the lawn (although it has been surprisingly easy to hand it over to Ben). I love it because a) I feel like I am getting my exercise for the day, b) it is loud enough that I can’t hear my kids whine or complain while I am doing it, and c) it stays looking nice for a whole week.

10. I have a strong affinity for the truth and don’t say things unless I mean them. When I was in Hawaii, I almost bought a postcard for the kids that said “Wish you were here”, but had to exchange it for one that said “Thinking of you” so I could be completely honest.

11. When I am eating popcorn, I like to put a Starburst in my mouth at the same time so it tastes like a popcorn ball. (I think I learned that trick from the Dawson sisters at the Clifton fireworks one year.) I do the same thing with Sugar Babies and popcorn to make caramel corn in my mouth.

12. I love thunderstorms and the feel of clean sheets. Listening to a thunderstorm while lying in bed (with clean sheets) is my absolute favorite.

13. I set my alarm for random times 7:12 or 6:48 . . . never right on the hour (but always an even number).

14. I divide my laundry into at least eight different categories before I wash it. People who do darks, lights, and whites are a mystery to me.

15. Planning parties causes me great stress. I always try to make everything perfect and always feel disappointed in how things turn out by the time it is over. I was in charge of the game for Ben’s first grade Halloween party and it was total bomb. It has been three years and I’m still rethinking it and wanting a redo.

16. I can’t curl my tongue.

17. My eyes turn a really pretty color of green when I’ve been crying.

18. I’m super afraid of/paralyzed by heights, but I went skydiving once and totally wasn’t afraid to jump out of the plane. Somehow having a parachute and a professional skydiver strapped to my back made me feel completely safe. I did throw up on the way down. (Word to the wise: don’t eat a huge breakfast at Denny’s the day that you go skydiving.) Now I have a fear of throwing up on strangers.

19. I’ve had nine jobs in my life: telemarketer at Matrixx Marketing (inbound calls only . . . don’t hate me); Walmart cashier; dispatcher for Allstate Road Help; receptionist in Merrill Hall at USU; teaching assistant for Andy Anderson’s Human Physiology; teacher’s aide at Edith Bowen Elementary School; dispatcher for the Forest Service during fire season; science teacher at North Ogden Junior High; and mom.

20. I put Miracle Whip on top of my green beans. So do all of my kids.

21. I love hanging out around the campfire when we are camping, but I hate bringing home campfire smell. I make all of the kids strip down in the laundry room and head straight to the showers when we get home because the thought of that smell getting into the couches/carpet/beds makes me twitch.

22. I’m a pacer. I can’t stand still to brush my teeth or talk on the phone.

23. I make some reference to Seinfeld at least once a day. Luckily, Nate knows the show as well as I do, so he gets all of my jokes.

24. I check my email approximately 200 times a day.

25. I hate having hot feet . . . partly because it makes me irritable and partly because I get heat blisters really easily.

26. I have to pee right before bed. If I go to the bathroom and then leave my bedroom to do something else, I have to go again (even if it has only been ten minutes).

27. Jane Austen books are like comfort food to me.

28. I love planning/taking road trips.

29. It takes me an exceptionally long time to pick out a font when I am typing. It has to match the mood of whatever I am using it for.

30. My mind has a way of jumping from “Nate didn’t answer his phone” to “he must be lying dead on the highway” in 7 seconds flat. I have a unique ability (curse) to think of the worst case scenario in any situation.

31. I once paid $25 for a beat up, 1970 version of Husker Du on ebay because I remembered playing it when I was a kid (stupid nostalgia). I have since learned to just be happy with looking at vintage items on ebay (i.e. the exact same metal Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox that I had in 3rd grade) or finding deals at the DI.

32. I have a strong stomach most of the time. I have dissected fetal pigs and frogs and squid that all reeked of formaldehyde. I even had an anatomy lab in college where we worked with human cadavers. No big deal. BUT, if hear a crunch when I kill a spider or see someone pick their nose and eat it, it triggers a serious gag reflex.

33. I’m totally okay with being 36, but I freaked out when I turned 23. I was the age of a returned sister missionary and wasn’t married yet and felt like an old maid. It is funny how young 23-year-olds seem to me now.

34. My eyelashes are blonde and completely disappear if I don’t wear mascara.

35. When I was eight years old, I cried until my mom let me get my ears pierced. Now, I never wear earrings. The last time I can remember wearing them was on July 4, 2000.

36. I’m looking forward to my kids being teenagers so I can get back to taking Sunday afternoon naps.

Emily's Birthday Bash

Emily had her first friend birthday party on Saturday. She invited her sisters, three cousins, two friends from school, and six friends from church. That’s a grand total of 14 girls. Plus, one girl showed up with her stepsister who stayed for the party, bringing the total to 15. (Just a note to all the moms of the world: if one of your kids is invited to a party, don’t drop off your other kids who weren’t invited. She was a really nice girl, but we had only bought enough stuff for 14 girls. We improvised a bit and it mostly worked out fine.)

Emily is a little artist and of course wanted to have an art party. It seemed easy enough. I figured I would just find a fun art party plan online and copy it. No such luck. There wasn’t much out there, so we had to come up with our own ideas. We found some cute little projects for the girls to do and turned the playroom into a little art studio. They painted birdhouses, made a couple of sand art projects, played Win, Lose, or Draw, decorated sugar cookie suckers, and made ID bracelets. There were a couple of glitches that caused me to hyperventilate a bit, but things mostly went according to plan and the girls all seemed to have a good time. Emily loved it! Next week (after we get through a baptism and three birthdays in this house), I think I will write up a little party plan post like I did for Ben’s party. Hopefully it will help out some other mom with an artsy eight year old. Plus, the piñata turned out pretty darn cute and I want to show it off. :)





Ben went on a special date with Aunt Holly during the party. They both had a great time. Ben talked her ear off and she bought him a Slurpee and treats. They went to Smith and Edwards and she gave him a whole dollar to spend in the candy aisle. Someone had put some giant suckers in the 8/$1.00 bin and Ben was so excited that Holly didn’t have the heart to tell him that they weren’t really supposed to be there. Getting that sucker (AKA, light saber) was pretty much the highlight of his week.

Back in the Saddle Again

The kids started school this week. We met their teachers at Back to School Night on Tuesday, and I feel like we totally lucked out. I love them. The kids love them. I couldn’t be happier. Wednesday was the first day of school for Ben and Emily. Elise was very sad that she didn’t get to go too. (Ben offered to trade places with her 97 times.) I let her pout for about three minutes and then told her she was just going to have to suck it up. My sanity wasn’t up to the challenge of a whole week of five-year-old self-pity. We walked over at the end of the day to walk home with the kids. There was actually a limo there to pick up one girl. Who does that?!?!?






Thursday night the school had a swimming party at North Shore. It was their reading incentive party that got cancelled last spring because of the weather. We had a great time hanging out with friends at the pool. Emily jumped off the high dive for the first time. She is getting so brave! Ben did a flip off the high dive. It looked great until he over-rotated a bit and did a painful belly flop into the water. I don’t think he will be trying that again anytime soon. Elise played with all of her friends and Abby got to have the full attention of her mom and dad. It was a fun night.

Through Rain and Wind and Weather

We love going boating with friends. The only downside is that you have to pick a day in advance and hope for good weather. It’s been very hit and miss with having the weather cooperate with us this summer. We took Heidi and Aaron and their boys out last Thursday. We almost scratched our plans when we woke up to grey skies and rain showers. Luckily it cleared up later in the day, so we just changed our afternoon party to an evening party. It was actually kind of cool to be out on the water while the sun was setting. The big news of the trip is that Ben tried skiing again. He was not at all thrilled about doing it (to say the least), but after some persuasion and a bribe, he finally caved. Apparently three dollars is the going rate for conquering fear in that boy. He popped right up on the trainers and really loved it. I’m glad he wasn’t shown up by his cousins’ bravery. Zack and Austin were surprisingly daring about jumping in the water and riding on the tube.







On Saturday, we took the Eckardts. The weather was absolutely gorgeous . . . except for the wind. Dang wind! It made for some choppy water, which meant that every boat out there was trying to hug the south dike to take advantage of the smoother water. It was too close for comfort for my tastes, but we still had a good time. We spent most of the time tubing since the water was so rough. I wanted take a little solo ride. It ended up being a big mistake. About one minute into my ride the wind picked up the tube like a kite and flipped it over, slamming me against the water. I’m still having some pretty serious back pain as a result. Dang wind!





The big news of this trip is that Elise lost her first tooth. I had my ski gloves on and I was going to see how loose it was. Elise turned her head when I put my fingers in her mouth and her tooth came right out in my hand. She was so excited. The tooth fairy brought her a gold dollar, a littlest pet shop bear, and some grasshopper cookies.

Cousin Fun

One of the sad things about school starting is that we are done with our summertime cousin dates. We’ve had loads of fun playing this summer. Here’s a recap of what we did:

Week one: We had a movie matinee at our house and watched Fantastic Mr. Fox. The kids thought it was great. The grownups had mixed reviews. Mostly I just loved that Ben tried to master Mr. Fox’s tongue-clicking/whistling combo so it could be his trademark too.


Week two: We tie dyed t-shirts using Sharpies and rubbing alcohol. Then the kids played in Holly’s swimming pool. Some of the shirts turned out super cute, but I didn’t get a picture. I did get pictures in the pool. They had just filled it and the water was FREEZING. The girls were much braver about it than the boys.



Week three: We took the kids to Kennecott. It was fun to have an educational fieldtrip and we were glad that Grandma Reatha came along. We had planned to go to a park for lunch after our tour, but Google Maps led us to some rodeo grounds that were under construction. We went with Plan B and stopped at the nearest church. We ate lunch on the lawn under some shade trees and the kids had fun playing tag in the church parking lot.


Week four: We spent some time at Beus Pond. I got attacked by a goose three minutes after we got there. We were debating whether or not to follow the sign that said not to feed the birds. Mr. Goose could see the bag of bread in my hand and apparently got impatient. Who knew that those things had teeth?!? After the bread was safely returned to the van, we had a fun time. We walked around the pond; the boys challenged each other to see who could walk the farthest out on a tree that had fallen into the water (Ben won . . . he had a definite weight advantage); the kids hiked up a dusty trail and got filthy; and we finished off the day with lunch and a little soccer game at the park.





Week five: Emily participated in a week-long summer art workshop at the Treehouse Museum, so we decided to meet up after one of her classes and take the kids to the museum. We had lunch at the park first and watched some guy hit my car when he was parallel parking (no real damage was done). Then we headed over to the Treehouse. I was afraid that Holly’s kids would be too old to appreciate it and think it was lame, but everyone seemed to love it. Ben and Jacob looked like two funny old men playing checkers (and then chess). They apparently take these things pretty seriously.




Week six: We went to the zoo the last week of July (I wanted to go while I could take advantage of the “bring in four Cache Valley cheese/butter packages and get a free ticket” offer, and it ended on July 31st). I wouldn’t recommend going to the zoo when it is 98 degrees outside. It was HOT. And, Bryton got sick and threw up a couple of times. Other than that, it was great. :) Sarah had a doctor appointment, so Jody had to leave early and Holly ended up taking Bryton home since she was feeling so lousy. She left Rachel and Jacob with me. I was a little afraid for a second about managing six kids at the zoo all by myself, but they were great and we had a good time together. We walked every inch of Hogle Zoo (twice I think). I was pretty worn out by the end of that day.




The next day, Holly came to my house to make a slideshow for girls’ camp. The kids played together for a good six hours and had a blast. Jacob challenged the rest of the kids (all seven of them) to a soccer game and he still won. Too bad that athletic ability wasn’t spread more evenly in the family. :) I love that Abby was playing soccer in her Cinderella dress. She is a crack up.


Week seven: We spent a few hours being lazy at Holly’s house. It is fun to go on outings, but sometimes I think the kids have the most fun just hanging out and playing together. The girls got their nails painted with fancy nail polish that changes colors in the sun. It was pretty much the highlight of their summer.

Week eight: We planned a cousin boating party. It turned out to be a cousin beach party. The wind was blowing so hard that we ended up not even launching the boat. I was pretty disappointed about the lousy weather, but the kids certainly made the most of it. The strong wind made for some really big waves. The kids acted like they were at the ocean and played in the waves for hours. We’re hoping that we get a chance to take them out one more time this season so they can actually try a bit of skiing and kneeboarding.